Friday Fictioneers – Reflection

The other passengers shrank back, in case my illness proved catching. If I could see that action, my sight was okay. So, it wasn’t me, it was the world. Something had happened to the world.

I felt the ferry’s engine as a bass vibration in my legs. But we weren’t receding from land. The moon hung motionless in the sky and the reflections from the old customs house on the wharf didn’t shimmer on the stilled waves.

A figure wrapped in a shawl bent close. “You needn’t leave. Go back to her.”

Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here.

Fancy sharpening your skill with writing exercises? The Scrivener’s Forge offers a new exercise every month to hone one aspect of your craft. Take a look at this month’s exercise on point of view.

I wonder if you had the painting ‘Salem’ by Sidney Curnow Vosper, in mind when you wrote your story, Neil. I was struck by your description of the figure in the shawl because the painting has, as its centrepiece, a woman in a shawl who has something very odd about her! (I hope you don’t mind if I share a link as part of my comment, in case anyone would like to know more.)https://welshgiftshop.com/blogs/welsh-gift-shop/see-the-devil-in-the-welsh-ladys-shawl-salem-painting
Like the painting, I’m sure there’s much more going on in your story than meets the eye! It was intriguing and I loved it! It really fired my imagination.

My closest guess is that he’s having visual and auditory hallucinations, but it’s much more fun to believe that he’s having some kind of mystical encounter. Of course, it might just be his inner voice and conscience telling him that he needn’t leave. I like it that you keep it a mystery.